St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-22
WEST FORMALLY FIRED
The Trouble of the First Church Ended
by Dissolving DR.. Vests Re-
lations.
A Plaintive Argument by the Minister
Who Will Appeal to tue
Synod.
Keys of the Church Turned Over, and
Services Will be Held Next
Sunday.

Keys of the Church Turned Over, and
Services viii be Held Next
Sunday.
At the session of the st. Paul presby-
terry yesterday morning the committee on
installation reported favorably on the call
of Rev. j. B. Donaldson to the Fifth
church. The Rice Point church was given
leave to supply its own pulpit for a year.
At 10 o'clock the First church of st. Paul
trouble came up and the presbytery took
hold of it in earnest. The resolution intro
duced by Prof. Kiehle. declaring that the
call extended to Rev. Dr.. West be revoked,
and that he no longer be the pastor elect of
the First church, was read. Rev. Mr.. Ring
land opened the discussion by asking if the
case was a judicial one. Ii it was not he
did not understand how the resolution could
possibly be in order He was answered by
! Prof. Kiehle, the mover of the resolution.
Dr.. West while the professor was speak
ing, arose and called the speaker to order.
The moderator had allowed Prof. Kiehle to
speak five or six minutes he said, while he
himself had been shut down on in sum-
mary manner, If any one was going to be
allowed to talk at random he wanted to see
the moderator rule Ill an impair
tial manner. Dr.. West carried his
point, and forced Prof. Kiehle to
sit down without having had his say.
The chairman decided that the motion in
troduced was IN order. and wanted to know
if there was any appeal from it. DR.. West
said that there could be no appeal, and be-
gan lengthy speech, when called down by
the moderator. S. H. Thompson jumped
to his feet and insisted that the scene be no
longer continued. DR.. West then appealed
from the decision of the char, but the chair
was sustained by all almost unanimous vote.
Bv a vote of the house, Prof. kiehle was
allowed to say few words in explanation
of his motion. DR.. West replied, saying
| that some one had
PERFORATED GROSS FRAUD
upon him and he should like to know who
the guilty parties were. He read the call
he had received. and stated that any report
to the effect that he had declined to accept
the call was not so. The doctor went Oh to
say that he had tried to do what was right.
and that nearly all the trouble had been
caused by man who had come in at the
last end, and pretended to know more about
church matters than those who had been in
all their lives. He made somewhat pc
culiar speech. in which he held himself up
as martyr. The men who formed the
minority, he said, had broken up the Sun
day school of the First church, brought the
pastor to disgrace. and now came before
the presbytery and asked it to sanction their
action. The speaker told to what extent
he had sunk his own comfort and his own
individuality in the matter, and tried to i'm
press his hearers with the idea that the
presbytery, as body, had little conscience.
ut requires considerable grace said he,
''for minister to stand this thing, and do
not feel as though l could stand it much
longer"
w. 3. Dean-The presbytery condemns the
acts of the unsubmSsive members of the
First church of ST. Paul. but there are things
that may be said on the other side. 1t is
long time since the church has been repre-
scented at the presbytery, and the last time it
was represented the representative was not
legally elected and had do right to be present.
DIR. West wanted to know what Mr.. Dean
meant by this. He denied that ne had ever
failed to do
HIS DUTY IN EVERY WAY,
and thought the insinuation that he had not
very much out Of Order Mr.. Dean, resum-
ing, said that the presbytery 'had the un-
doubted right to reconsider, the cal, and he re-
ally hoped that this would be done. 1t is not
the duty of the presbytery to stand by its
ministers, but by the church, and when the
interests of my pastor and my church con-
flict, it will not take me long to decide to
which l owe allegiance.
Rev. Mr.. Patterson took the floor and
made long speech, in which he touched
upon many of the points under discussion.
de did not think it would be for the best
interests of the church to leave the call in
the hands of DR.. West. This plan would
also work against the church Ill some ways.
Mr.. Patterson paid a high tribute to DR..
West and said it was the First church itself
| that had been disobedient to the presbytery.
| He did not think that the resolution intro
| duced by Prof. Kiehle could be adopted
| without virtually bowling to the minority at
St. Paul, and he for one was not in favor
| of doing any such thing. 1t would be
| placing the presbytery in the hands of those
| who denied the authority of the church.
| To pass the resolution would be to GO
| back on our former action and announce to
| the world that we are not able to enforce our
| orders"
Rev. John Wood Merriam Park-I will vote
for the resolution, for believe if it is carried
| it will result IN throwing the First church
| open on Sunday next. Besides, the presby-
| terry has not the right to extend call to any
minister, so that do not see how it can re-
call one when it never could legally issue
one.
Rev. J. B. Donaldson-The matter has been
| embarrassed somewhat by the difference be-
| tween judicial and ecclesiastical authority.
! The trustees of the church are now ready to
\ place the keys of the church in the hands of
| the moderator, and allow any one whom the
preSbytery may designate to hold services.
| THE KEY TURNED OVER.
Mr.. Jewett. chairman of the trustees,
stepped forward and handed the key of the
church to the moderator. This was greeted
| by applause, as those present saw settle
ment of the whole trouble possible. DR..
| West was granted five minutes in which to
speak. He characterized the proceeding as
unjust to him. as it did not give him time
| to say what he wanted to. An adjourn
ment was taken amid a general misunder-
standing as to what should be done next
DR.. West vehemently protesting that he
held the floor and that an adjournment
| could not be taken.
| AFTERNOON SESSION.
Upon reassemblng, after reading the re-
port of the commission upon request OF DR..
West, that gentleman resumed the floor and
detailed the ''secret session" while he was
east. which was presided over by Mr..
Thompson, who had told him he moderated
this session under protest. This brought
Mr.. Thompson to his feet with correction
he had not said under protest.
DIR. west-With all respect TO the presby-
terry, and in no spirit of defiance, repeat the
| words. Believe which you choose.
Proceeding. DR.. West went over his en-
tire relation to the church. DR.. Campbell
made the point that the motion pending did